Settling the Score
by soThenMegansaid
Summary: Lisa thought it was all over, and that she would be able to get on with her life without ever seeing him again. Sadly, she was mistaken. Now the two are locked into a sick game of cat and mouse, where the score is being kept by both sides.
1. Chapter One: Flying Once More

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters from the movie Red Eye. I do, however, own all characters that were not in or mentioned in the movie.

* * *

**Settling the Score  
Part I: **_Flying Once More_

_All our young lives we search for someone to love. We choose partners, change partners...  
all the while wondering if there's someone, somewhere, searching for us.  
Unknown_

* * *

**1:32 AM**. Lisa glanced at her alarm clock and sighed loudly. She had been staring at it for the past hour and a half and had not gotten any sleep whatsoever. Teasingly, it turned to 1:33, and Lisa groaned. This was getting ridiculous. It had been five grueling months since her encounter with the two-faced Jackson Rippner, and she had yet to get more than three hours of sleep in a row. He haunted her dreams and thoughts. No matter what she was doing, her mind always found a way to drift back to the psychopath. She always felt his eyes on her. In fact, that was what terrified her the most. Every stranger she passed, for a split second, was staring back at her with those eyes. He had caused her to be the one thing she hated: afraid.

Lisa's life had been devoted to preventing fear ever since she was raped. It had become a natural instinct to drive away anything that could pose a threat to her safety. She bought pepper spray, parked closer to the buildings and under streetlights, and refused to park in parking garages, but somehow Jackson managed to get through all of her traps. He had attacked the one thing that she had never thought anybody would. Her heart.

Her eyes wandered outside and to the street, silently searching for any unfamiliar cars, in particularly a silver BMW. When she found none, she allowed herself to relax slightly. It had been five months since her encounter with Jackson Rippner and she couldn't shake the feel that he was out there somewhere, plotting her demise. Now more than ever she was on her guard twenty-four / seven. After the rape, she knew that it had been a random attack. The perpetrator, who was later caught and sentenced to twenty years in prison, had seen her walking to her car in the parking garage and attacked without a second thought. But with Jackson, it was more personal. He knew where she lived, her habits, her likes and dislikes. She even speculated that he had been in her house a couple of times. He had invaded her privacy in multiple ways without her even knowing it. That thought alone scared the hell out of her.

Unable to find a comfortable position, Lisa rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. She was steadily becoming an insomniac. Her father had insisted that she go to a psychologist, but she politely refused. She had not when she had been raped, and she saw no need to go now. All that she needed was firm proof that she would never hear from or see Jackson Rippner again. His trial had been postponed several times due to missing evidence and witnesses, which she had no doubt that Jackson had a small part in. There was even a rumor that Jackson had disappeared from police custody all together, but nothing had been confirmed. She was deathly afraid that he would seek revenge and try to kill her. In order to prevent such actions from happening, she invested in an alarm system and guard dog. She wasn't sure how much they would do to protect her, but something felt a whole lot better than nothing.

With another restless sigh, she glanced at the alarm clock. 1:39 AM. This seemed to be her normal routine and it was a wonder that she managed to make it into work every morning. Every now and then, she would pass out due to sheer exhaustion and have a dreamless sleep. Many people informed her though, Cynthia being one, that it wasn't healthy.

She was sick of everyone's concern. They were constantly asking, "Are you okay?" "You sure?" "Anything I can do to help?" Lisa groaned into her pillow and knocked her alarm clock off the nightstand onto the floor, the numbers facing away from her. Anger filled her as she wished for everyone to leave her alone. Things would be simpler if they just minded their own business. She closed her eyes and tried her best to get comfortable. Allowing all the thoughts to slip from her mind, she began to slip into a light sleep.

The sound of her guard dog barking caused her body to jerk awake. She slipped from her bed and walked into the living room. The dog sat just underneath one of the windows. Lisa knocked on the window, signaling for the dog to be quite. It had been a rash move on her part to buy a fully-grown Doberman Pincher, but at the time the Miami DA was unsure if he was going to make the charges against Rippner stick. After hearing the news, she immediately rushed out and bought the biggest and scariest dog at the pet shop nearest to her. However, it turned out that Lulu was quite a wimp, only barking when she felt it would be the most inconvenient.

Lisa padded her way into the kitchen and opened the door to the fridge. She had very little food stowed away and the only thing that looked relatively edible were the eggs tucked away in the back.

Jackson's comment about her eating scrambled eggs at 3 AM floated up and she decided that she would definitely not be having eggs. Lisa shut the door and walked over to her couch, where she plopped down. The remote was in its usual position, tucked down in one of the cushions by the arm of the couch. She slipped her hand down and fetched it. After turning the TV on, she relaxed and stretched out, flipping through the endless infomercials and late night / early morning reruns. She finally stopped on an old black and white movie. It held her attention for a little while; however, thirty minutes later, she was sleeping.

The sound of her alarm clock going off in her bedroom woke Lisa from a seemingly peaceful sleep. She knew without look that it was five thirty in the morning and she had an hour and a half before she had to be at the Lux Atlantic. Slowly, she got of the couch and walked into her room, where she turned her alarm clock off and sat in back on the nightstand. She stretched her arms and legs out as she walked to her bathroom and disrobed. The water was scalding hot when she stepped underneath it, just the way she liked it. It allowed her to slip away from the life she was living and envision herself in a much peaceful more relaxing environment. Lisa finished her shower and stepped out, wrapping a towel around herself. She wasn't looking forward to going to work. A big group of Italian businessmen were coming in and they were sure to wreak havoc. She came very close to calling Cynthia several times and telling her that she was ill. With a sigh, Lisa decided that she had to go to work. She couldn't let Jackson control her life forever. Or at least that's what she hoped.

* * *

Jackson lay inside the Mt. Vernon Private Hospital thinking about the one thing that had haunted his thoughts for the past five months. Lisa. His fingers tightened around the side of the bed as he replayed her stabbing the pen into his throat. He had to admit he had never seen it coming and he had definitely underestimated Lisa. His fingers moved to where they were running across the small scar positioned in the middle of his throat.

_"It had happened in a parking lot two years ago…"_

That's where he should have been first clued in that she was trying to distract him, but he pathetically felt sorry for her and thought that she'd given up fighting. That was only the beginning as far as he was concerned.

_"He held a knife to my throat the whole time. I had to convince myself one thing."_

Jackson cursed himself for being so stupid. He had been doing his job for ten years and some odd months and he had been blinded by one seemingly innocent conversation with a beautiful girl.

_"That it was something you couldn't control."_

_"No. That it would never happen again."_

His reflexes weren't fast enough for him to stop her from lodging the freaky looking pen right into his larynx. Bam! Impromptu tracheotomy.

Now, Jackson would always have a slight rasp in his voice when he talked, and he didn't even want to attempt raising his voice or yelling quite yet. The doctor had told him that was very lucky that he had not lost his voice. That was probably the only good deed Lisa had committed, he thought, that day on flight 1091.

He shifted restlessly in his bed and stared out into the hall, where nurses and doctors passed by going on with their busy lives. For about two months, he had called the private hospital home. It had taken quite awhile for the company he worked to pay off all the right people and make sure that he could disappear easily and it go unnoticed until he was far, far away from Miami. He was indeed far away, as far away as Virginia. However, as soon as he was well enough, he planed on heading back to Miami and exacting revenge upon Lisa, a plan the company had already approved.

They had been very lenient when they had heard of his failure. Jackson should have been dead before he had even reached the hospital, but since he had never failed a mission and had worked for the company for many years, he was given a second chance. The mission and agenda had been changed. It was personal. Revenge would be sweet. He imagined what Lisa would be doing at that very second. Most likely throwing herself head first into work and attempting to make everything perfect, without once thinking about what she needed. He admired that in her, but then again found it incredibly boring.

She was in fact a boring girl. All she cared about was her work. Not a lot of friends and she rarely went out except for once a week to order a Sea Breeze at the local bar. Or at least that is what she used to do. She had probably changed her routine up completely, in attempt to throw anyone who was watching her off. He could see the shock in her eyes when he revealed that he had been watching her for eight weeks. And in those eight weeks, he managed to find out everything about her, aside from the rape.

That piece of information was the key to his downfall. He shouldn't have let himself care. He was a professional. He was there to get a job done, a chief objective in which he failed. The word failure rested uneasy in his mind. The company he worked for had given him the job because they trusted him. "If anyone can do this," his boss said, "you can, Rippner." His charm and charisma had worked against him, and now he found himself lying in a hospital bed somewhere in Virginia with no means of contacting the outside world.

Everything was set. He would begin his mission for revenge soon. He would lie low for several weeks, testing Lisa. He would watch her every move and see how much he had shaken up her life. It would be interesting to get to know the new Lisa. Exactly how he would get revenge, he was unsure, but he would think of something while he stalked her. The term "stalked" seemed so predatory, but in a sense he felt it. Lisa had threatened his existence by not using male-driven fact based logic.

"_One simple phone call saves your dad's life."_

Jackson slammed his hands down against the sides of the hospital bed. Anger boiled in his veins as Lisa's face filled his mind. Why wouldn't she just listen and do as he said. He hadn't lied to her once. In fact, he kept his part of the deal. She was the one who deviated from the plan. She was to blame for every horrible thing that had happened since the plane landed. He found it hard to sleep at night. The event at 30,000 feet would replay over and over in his mind and every time he would wake up just as she was about to stab him. She was in his thoughts, his dreams. Hell, he was beginning to think that he was obsessed with her. It certainly didn't help when he would be watching the news on the TV in his room and he would see her on the television. His heart would begin to race and he would think back to their encounter in the bathroom. The closeness, the feel of her breath on his cheek, her scar. All of it became real for just a few seconds and then reality would hit and anger would engulf him.

He wanted her to suffer. He wanted her to pay for sticking that hideous pen into his throat. He wanted her dead.

* * *

Just as Lisa was about to head out the door, her phone began to ring. She sighed heavily and backtracked toward the ringing annoyance.

"Lisa Reisert." After working at the hotel for over five years, she had grown accustomed to answering the phone that way.

"Oh sweetie, it's only your mom," her mom said on the other end.

Lisa relaxed a bit and allowed herself to smile. "Hey mom, how's is it going out in Texas?"

She sat down on the couch and sunk into the cushions. Her mom tended to babble after a while and she wasn't sure how long the phone conversation would last. It didn't matter all that much if she was late to work. She was a manger and Cynthia would cover for her at the front desk.

"It's going fine, but listen. Will it be possible for you to come out here for a little bit? Rick is very sick and I need some help taking care of him. I can't do it on my own and still go to work."

Lisa rolled her eyes, but kept her tone the same. In short, she wasn't very fond of Rick. After all, he was the reason her parents divorced.

"What's wrong with him?"

"He has a staph infection in his right leg and the doctor's aren't sure if they caught it in time. He cut his leg while out at the barn about a week ago and now he can't walk on his right leg, it hurts so much."

Her voice was pleading and Lisa was finding it hard to say no.

"Are you sure it's okay with Rick? I mean, we really never did get along."

Lisa could hear her mom sigh on the other end. "Leese, I really need you. I'm at my wits end here and Rick has been grouchy since he came home from the hospital earlier this week. I don't know if I'll make it another day."

It sounded as if her mom was crying. Lisa didn't have the heart to say no after that.

"Yeah, mom. I'll try my best to catch the earliest flight out, okay?"

Her mother's spirit seemed to rise with that news. Lisa had never been really close to her mom, and she figured that her time spent in Dallas could change that. "I'll just call Cynthia at the hotel and let her know. When I get all the details sorted out, I'll call you, okay?"

"Oh sweetie," her mother beamed. "You don't know what this means to me. I love you."

"I love you, too, Mom. Bye."

She hung up with her mother and shrank further into the cushions. It hadn't been in her immediate plans to jump back on a place, especially back to Dallas, but there was really no way around it. Her mother was obviously unable to take care of Rick and they would suffer financially if both of them took off work. It would only be for a couple of days Lisa hoped. Jackson Rippner was locked up somewhere and wouldn't be able to hurt her again. Or at least that's what she liked the think.

* * *

Jackson was awakened by the sound of someone walking into his hospital room. He looked over at the door and found a man in a black suit holding a metal brief case. The man had a professional aura about him, and Jackson did not doubt that the man was from the company.

The company did not have a name and for good reasons. If someone was captured and the authorities were to question him, the person would not have any details to give, for he knew none. The only thing that he would be able to say is what his mission was.

He looked over the man curiously, wondering just what his mission was. The man said nothing as he opened up the brief case and pulled a file from it. He handed it to Jackson, nodded his head, and then disappeared from the room. The situation was a little odd, but no doubt it was for the best that no words had been spoken. It may have been a private hospital but there was no telling who or what was watching them.

Jackson opened the file and thumbed through the pages. There was police report after police report discussing how the case files on him had turned up missing. There were even several documents on Lisa and her efforts to help the District Attorney. At the back of the folder were several photos that made Jackson's blood boil. The photos were of Lisa going through her daily routine. The thought that somebody else was watching her pissed him off beyond belief. Somebody else was watching her. That's when it hit him. If he were to fail or decide not to kill Lisa in the end, the company had ensured that in the end Lisa would be dead. Anger filled him. Lisa was his mark and no one else's. Most likely he wasn't the only one on the case. There were others, but none of them knew what she was capable of. None of them knew just what made her tick. Jackson prided himself in knowing these things. He sat up in the bed and decided that he had spent enough time in the hospital. It was time he broke free and go after Lisa. But in order to do that, he had to make sure that no one else would be able to do it before him.

Lisa dropped her phone onto the couch and sighed. It was all set up. She was leaving Miami airport at 10:00 AM and would be arriving in Dallas around five hours later. Her hand shook slightly as she ran it through her hair, attempting to calm herself.

_Knock it off,_ she told herself. _He's not coming back!_

But Lisa did want him to come back. She wanted him back so that she could show that she could hold her own. She had beaten him once before. But she wanted to beat him for once and for all. To watch the life slip away from his body, so that she would have the solace in knowing that he was no longer a threat.

She had already called her mom, her dad, and Cynthia told let them know what was going on. Cynthia reassured her that she had everything under control and asked her to try and get some rest while out in Texas. Her mother giggled insanely like a little schoolgirl and said that she couldn't wait to see her. Her father, however, sighed. He warned her to be careful and to make sure that whoever she was sitting next to, that she sit in an aisle seat. Lisa smiled when he had said this. She promised that she would be careful and said that she kept a pen on her at all times. After all that, the only thing she had left to do was pack. With a heavy sigh, she got up from the couch and headed into her room. Her flight would be taking off in about two hours and she wanted to make sure that she didn't miss it.

* * *

Score: Lisa – 1 / Jackson - 0


	2. Chapter Two: Some Will Seek Forgiveness

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the characters from the movie Red Eye. I do, however, own all characters that were not in or mentioned in the movie.

* * *

**Settling the Score  
Part II:** _Some Will Seek Forgiveness, Others Escape_

_There are only two emotions in a plane: boredom and terror.  
_Orson Welles

_

* * *

_

Lisa walked through the Miami airport with her rolling suitcase in hand. The headphones to her iPod were in her eyes and she was doing her best to dodge the mid-day airport traffic. Getting bored with the song that was playing, Lisa hit a button and changed the song. A song, which name she could not remember, came on and she began to hum along. It allowed her to forget about why she was heading out to Texas and her fears of what might happen on the plan. The words took over her and she found herself relaxing.

_I heard a voice through the discord  
Of a deluge of passersby.  
I saw one gaze frozen in time   
Watching me passing by.    
I swear I'll know your face in the crowd,  
And I'll hear your voice so loud  
When you're whispering..._

Lisa threw a glance over her shoulder afraid of what she might see. The words were getting to her. Fear filled her bloodstream as she scanned the surge of people that were rushing around her. Her eyes searched frantically for that one person that was watching her. She felt it. His eyes were on her. He knew her every movement and was coming to get her. Lisa spun in her spot, looking about her. A man close to her was asking if she was okay, but she found herself unable to respond. For a second she felt as though piercing blue eyes were looking into her soul. She snapped out of her frantic state and concerned brown eyes met her green one.

"Miss, are you okay? Miss?"

Her cheeks began to turn red and she felt incredibly embarrassed. She inwardly chided herself for getting all riled up over a song. Jackson was not at the airport. He was NOT coming back to hurt her. She pulled the headphones out of her ears and smiled.

"I'm sorry about that. I just lost my way for a bit, but thanks for asking." She hoped that her happy façade would be enough for the man, but it didn't seem like it was.

"Are you sure? You looked… almost frightened."

The blush deepened. "I'm fine, really."

The man nodded, but Lisa could tell that he wasn't entirely satisfied. She walked away from the man with a small smile before he could as her anymore questions. Her flight would be taking off in about thirty minutes and she still hadn't made it to the baggage check yet. She placed the headphones back in her ears and picked up her step.

After a couple of minutes she managed to get through baggage check and found the terminal that was supposed to be at. Fresh Air Flight 4320. Lisa sat down in a chair and waited patiently for boarding to begin. Actual it was more like patiently on the outside, a nervous wreck on the inside.

_Come on, Lisa, _she told herself. _You can do this!_

Her hand gripped the bag tighter. Waiting was harder for her than the baggage check. The whole time she was constantly looking over her shoulder and she wouldn't talk to anyone. She had messed up once talking to a stranger and it wouldn't happen again. Minutes passed by and Lisa felt like she had been in the airport for forever and a day. She nearly jumped out of her skin when a voice came over the loud speak announcing that her flight was boarding.

She took in a deep breath and slowly let it out. _Here goes nothing, _Lisa told herself as she stood up and walked toward the boarding gate.

* * *

It was time. Jackson had everything he needed packed neatly away in a briefcase beside him. He opened the window in his hospital room slowly and slipped the briefcase through it. Escaping from the hospital was easier than waiting for the doctors to clear him, health wise. The window was just big enough for him to slip out of. Once outside, he picked up the brief case and straightened his clothes. The company had sent yet another messenger not an hour after the last one with clothing and toiletries. Jackson had cleaned up and immediately began plotting his escape. So far it had gone off without a hitch, but he didn't want to jump to conclusions until he was fully sure that he was safe. His shoes crushed the branches below his feet as he trampled through the small garden that law beneath his hospital window. It felt good to be outside and in the open. He didn't particularly enjoy being cramped up in one place for a long time, thus why flying wasn't one of his top ten favorite things to do.

Jackson managed to hot wire car and floored it out of the hospital parking lot. He would have to drive back to Miami. Taking the airport would be too risky. It was Sunday. If he made good time on the interstate, he planned on being in Miami by late Monday, early Tuesday. He would then spend all day Tuesday and some of Wednesday researching Lisa and attempting to find a place to stay.

A smile crossed his face as he thought of Lisa's reaction to seeing him again. He knew it would be priceless.

* * *

"This is your captain speaking. It seems we will be leaving Miami Airport on time and should be arriving on time as well at Dallas, Fort Worth. There will be a little turbulence as we take off, but after that it should be smooth sailing. You guys have a pleasant ride."

Lisa gripped her handrail tightly and stared out at the aisle. She had in fact originally bought an aisle seat, so she did not have to worry about being trapped in by some psychopathic lunatic. The only thing that made her feel a bit uneasy was the man sitting next to her. It was the same man who had bumped into her earlier and asked if she was okay. Lisa had long ago given up on coincidences, so when she sat down, she placed a pen just inside her sleeve and stuck her iPod headphones into her ears. Jackson had once tried to reach her by talking about her father while they were taking off. She wouldn't let herself be distracted again. To her, the situation kind of felt cliché. Even if someone were tracking her, why would they attempt to attack her using the same technique that Jackson Rippner had used? This technique later leading to his down fall. Lisa felt it best not to question herself and settled back in her seat, prepared for the 5-hour plane ride. It would most likely be the longest five hours of her life, next to the time she spent with Rippner. The plane began to move and Lisa felt nauseous.

_Calm yourself_, she repeated over and over in her mind.

The plane began to shake slightly as it gained speed. It was rolling down the take off strip. The turbulence was causing her heart rate to speed and she was beginning to feel nauseous. She knew it was a bad idea to try flying after only five months. She wasn't nearly emotionally stable enough to try it. The plan began to lift up in the air, the landing gear retracting. The inside of the plane shook harder as it continually gained speed. Out of the corner of her eye, Lisa could see that the man next to her was as disturbed by the shaking as she was. The turbulence seemed to escalade with every second that passed. By this point, Lisa was sure she was going to have a heart attack. The man next to her clamped down on her hand, which was still attached to the armrest, sending all sorts of thoughts to Lisa's head. Her mind was swimming with Jackson. His voice, his words. She felt his piercing eyes gaze into her once more and the urge to throw up became evermore present. The turbulence cleared after a bit and the seatbelt sign turned off. Lisa bolted up from her seat and ripped her hand away from the man. She had managed to lock herself in the bathroom before beginning to dry heave. She hadn't eaten anything that morning, partly due to the fact that she had nothing to eat at home. Lisa was glad that nothing had been on her stomach. She didn't want to take the risk of getting puke on her clothes or in her hair. Once she managed to stop, Lisa stood up shakily and stared into the small mirror.

"_Do your dad a favor and stop gambling with his life,_" _Jackson threatened as he held onto her chin. She could feel his ragged breath and her cheek and bit her lip nervously. This wasn't how she imagined things to turn out._

Her hair and clothes were disheveled. It wasn't until she got a good look in the mirror that she saw that she had been crying. The mascara she was wearing smeared from the sweat and tears. Inwardly, she cursed for letting Rippner have this much control over me. It was ridiculous. She was a grown woman and had read enough self-help books to fill a library, but yet she could not get past one man and the things he had done to her.

Lisa walked back to her seat after cleaning up and made sure not to make eye contact with anyone. She plopped down in her seat and pulled the pillow close to her chest. After she slipped on her seat belt, she attempted to fall asleep. The sooner they landed the better for her.

After managing to get a couple of hours of sleep, Lisa awoke just as the plane was landing. Relief flooded her body as she realized that she had made it through the flight without incident. Anxiously she waited for the plane to park so that she could get off the plane and hug her mom. Once the okay was given, everyone stood up to grab his or her stuff. Lisa's legs shook slightly as she tried to her best to stand up straight. She gave up quickly and settled for merely standing. After grabbing, she shoved her way off the plane, not caring about anybody else. All she knew was that she had to get off.

Her feet carried her through the terminal and straight towards her mom. She gave her a huge hug and didn't let go for quite awhile. She was relieved.

_I'm safe_, she rejoiced inside. _I made it._

_

* * *

_

Jackson opened the back door of Lisa's house with the flick of a wrist and allowed himself a small smile. Getting past the guard dog and alarm system was easy. An animal tranquilizer quickly removed the dog problem and after a snipping a few wires, the alarm problem was resolved as well. It was amusing to him that Lisa had gone through all the trouble to protect herself from him, but yet he was still able to get past it. He stepped into her house and began to take a look around. It looked like it hadn't been lived in for a couple of days. A frown played on his face as he saw Sunday's paper lying on the coffee table in the living room. It could have meant very little, but Jackson was sure that the last time Lisa had stepped foot in the house was Sunday, and today was Wednesday. He walked over to her answering machine and pressed the play button.

The company had given him very little information to go on. They confirmed that she was living in the same place and was not under FBI watch, but anything other than that was for him to find out. The messages began to play and Jackson listened to them while searching her house for any clues to her location.

"_Hey Lisa! This is Clyde. I was just calling 'cause I didn't see you at the bar tonight. Just wondering where you were. Well, I guess I'll talk to…"_

Jackson deleted the message. Clyde was the bartender at the local bar that she went to every week. No doubt she had probably changed her drink to something less alcoholic. She probably felt the need to be alert at all times.

The next message was a hang up. Jackson deleted it also.

"_Hey Leese, it's your dad. I know you're out of town, but I just wanted to leave you a message so you had something to come home too. I love you. Call me when you get this."_

Jackson saved that message. He was contemplating the use of the message in a later situation. One thought irked him though. Lisa was obviously out of town, but where. There was the possibility that she had gone to her mom's house. Jackson knew that she didn't like her step dad all too much so that option wasn't very likely. Lisa could have just decided to take a spur of the moment trip, but that seemed to rash. The last option was that Lisa wasn't really out of town; she was just pretending to be. She could be staying at Cynthia's house, he told himself.

A frown fell onto his face and his blue eyes searched the room harder. The last option didn't sit with him well. He just knew that Lisa wasn't staying with Cynthia. Something in his gut was telling him so. The sound of a car pulling up in the driveway alerted Jackson and he darted into a closet. If it was Lisa, he didn't want to see her just yet. He still had some kinks to work out of his plan and he didn't want to fail a second time because he was too eager to get the job done. Jackson slopped down his breathing to where it was very slow and inaudible. His eyes began to adjust to the darkness. The sound of a key being stuck in the lock filled the room and seconds later it was pushed open. Jackson watched from the crack in the door as Cynthia stepped into the room. She was humming a song and had a smile on her face. He watched as she walked through the living room, checking everything to see if they had been disturbed. The phone rang, interrupting her search.

"Hello?" she said, her voice high pitched and chipper as usual. "Hey, Lisa. Yeah, I got in without a problem… Yeah I was checking it when you called… Sure. I'll make sure all the doors and windows are locked…"

Jackson watched Cynthia with extreme caution. He did not need to be caught. The company was only going to give him one chance and that was it. If he screwed this one up, he was dead. Literally.

"…Everything looks fine."

She walked over to the back door and checked the lock as well as the other windows by the back door. "The alarm? It was off when I came in… What? No. It was completely turned off."

He stepped further back into the closet. Something grazed the side of his cheek and he had to stop himself from jumping out of the closet. The culprit was one of Lisa's winter coats. He pressed it further back into the closet and strained to hear Cynthia talking. If one thing was going to get him caught, it was the alarm.

"Lisa, sweetie, I'm sure the power went out and it hasn't been reset… Lulu? She's in the back yard sleeping," Cynthia said, peeking out the back door. "Lisa, you haven't seen your mom since the funeral. Just stay out there for a couple more days. It will let you relax and calm down."

Jackson smiled. He finally had what he wanted, Lisa's location. Now all he need was for Cynthia to leave and he would be on a flight out to Texas in a heartbeat. His thoughts slipped back to the little tiff between them in the bathroom. The more he thought about it the more he recognized that he felt something for her. It sure as hell wasn't love. Not really lust. It was more obsession or infatuation. She was the one who had gotten away. She was the one who had nearly ruined him. He knew that if things had gone according to plan, he might have thought about her for a little while, but within a couple of weeks so would be gone. Out of sight, out of mind right? That wasn't the case now. She was all he thought about anymore and he knew it wasn't healthy to obsess over someone the way he was. But revenge was the name of the game and he would be the victor.

The sound of Cynthia's voice snapped him from his thoughts. "I'll call the alarm company and see if they can send anyone out here to look at it okay?"

There was a pause. Jackson was sure that she was warning Cynthia about him. The thought made him smile.

"I'll be careful. You have fun in Texas. Bye."

Cynthia hung the phone up and then took a quick look around the room. Once satisfied, she opened the front door and slipped out of the house. Jackson didn't dare to move until he heard the door lock and her car start up. When the car was out of the driveway, he stepped out of the closet.

_Thought she could stay one step ahead of me, eh?_ he thought to himself. A malicious smile came onto his face when he thought about Lisa's reaction to seeing him in Texas. He would cherish it forever.

_Ready or not, Lisa. Here I come._

**Score: **Lisa – 1 / Jackson - 1


	3. Chapter Three: Absence Makes The Heart

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the characters from the movie Red Eye. I do, however, own all characters that were not in or mentioned in the movie.

* * *

**Settling the Score  
****Part III: ** _Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder_

_Every parting is a form of death,  
as every reunion is a type of heaven.  
_Tyron Edwards

_

* * *

_

Lisa stepped through the front door of her mother's house with groceries in hand and sighed. She had been at it for about three days now and she was ready to go home. After throwing her mom's car keys on the counter, she sat the small bag on the counter and rifled through it. Quickly, she began to put everything away.

"What's for dinner?" Rick asked as he hobbled into the kitchen. Lisa sighed, not ready to deal with Rick and his crap. When he saw that it was only Lisa, he rolled his eyes. "Oh, it's only _you_." She made a face at him when he wasn't looking. Rick looked back at her and quirked an eyebrow. Although she felt slightly juvenile, the fact that he hadn't caught her made her slightly giddy.

Rick was a little over six foot, older than her mom by a couple of years, and had salt and pepper colored hair. He was fit for a man of his age and looked a lot younger than his actual age, which he had never disclosed to anyone except for her mom.

"Sorry to disappoint you," Lisa replied, trying to sound as civil as possible. She opened the fridge door and put the cold stuff away.

He had never liked her. She had no clue as to why and apparently he didn't feel the need to share the reason. Lisa's mom, Barbara, continued to tell her that she was being paranoid and that Rick loved her like a daughter. Unable to tell her mom how it really was, Lisa simply went along with it and never mentioned anything bad about Rick to her mom. It would save the whole family a headache.

"When's your mom supposed to be home?" he asked gruffly as he walked over to the pantry searching for food.

She felt bad for feeling a little satisfaction in the fact that Rick was having a very difficult time walking. A small grin appeared on her face, but disappeared when he turned around to look at her. She could see him out of the corner of her eye watching her with a look of slight irritation.

"Lisa."

She pretended to be sorting things in the fridge, not really paying attention to him. It took all she had not to show any humor on her features or laugh.

"Lisa!"

Looking up, Lisa feigned innocence. "Oh, I'm sorry. What were you saying?" She looked at him as if she was slightly embarrassed to be caught not paying attention.

Rick mumbled under his breath before hobbling off backing into the living room. The sound of the TV being turned on filled her ears, and she allowed herself a triumphant smile.

_Maybe living with him for a while won't be so bad._

She continued to put away the rest of the groceries, surprised at how much stuff needed to go into the fridge. A muffled groan filled the air as Lisa shut the door. She quirked an eyebrow and tried her best to peek into the living room.

"Rick, are you all right?" she asked, slightly concerned. For all she knew, he had hurt himself again, and that was the last thing she needed. Ever since her "incident" with Jackson Rippner, she had developed a small fear of hospitals. For some reason unknown to her, they reminded her of him. She could feel his presence all around when she stepped through the sliding doors of any hospital.

When Rick didn't answer, she stepped into the living room and found him in a crumpled heap on the floor. "Oh my God!" she screamed, rushing to his side. Upon further inspection, she found that he was unconscious, not dead. His breathing was shallow, however, and she was unsure how long he would stay unconscious and if he was seriously hurt. There was a small wound at the side of his temple and blood began to run down the side of his face. She touched it lightly with her hand to see if anything was broken. When she pulled her hand away a large amount of blood stayed on her hands. Her fingers shook slightly as she tried to reason with herself on what happened. The stress management classes and Dr. Phil books weren't doing her a lot of good.

_He must have passed out and hit his head, _she told herself, not really believing her own conclusion. _I got to call 911!_

She looked around the room for the phone that seemed to always disappear when needed, but froze when she saw someone standing in the doorway. A man in his late forties with a black suit on stood in the doorway glaring at Lisa with a gun in his hand. Sweat prickled his temples, no doubt due to the hot temperature. Her brain seemed to enter into a fog and all she could do was sit there and stare at the man. As he raised the gun up and aimed at her, she seemed to snap out of her daze. The sound of the gun shooting caused her to dart up and out of the living room. She flew through the kitchen and grabbed the closest thing to her that could serve as a weapon, a butcher's knife. Her hand closed over the handle and she chunked it at the man as he entered the kitchen behind her. He raised his hand to block the attack and ended up cutting his forearm. The knife fell onto the floor along with the gun as her attacker moved to cover his wound. Lisa froze in her spot and watched the man for a second. He looked up at her with fury in his eyes. When he dipped down to retrieve his gun, Lisa knew she had to get away. The man was nothing like Rippner. He would kill her if given the chance.

Wasting no time, she darted out the back door of the house and ran toward the field in the backyard. The tall grass and trees helped hide her to some degree, but safety wasn't granted. Lisa continued to run through the field afraid to look back. She was about half way through the field searching desperately for a hiding spot when someone grabbed her from behind. A scream escaped her throat before a hand covered her mouth. The person shoved her into a tree and covered his body with her. As piercing blue eyes met her own green ones, she realized exactly who was out to get her. Jackson Rippner.

* * *

Jackson let out a small laugh as he arrived in Texas. So many memories flooded his mind as he walked through the airport. Unfortunately, he had to take the risk and fly. Driving to Texas was out of the question due to the possibility that by the time he got there, Lisa could have been home. Flying was a little difficult for him. The whole plan ride over, he spent making sure that no one had recognized him. He felt stupid for being so weak, but he couldn't take chances.

After landing in Dallas, he rented a car and immediately started driving towards Lisa's mom's house, which was an hour away. It really hadn't been all that difficult to find out where she lived. A few searches on the Internet and he had Barbara's address and phone number. The drive to her house was quite long and tedious. The dirt road and the trees that lined it dulled his senses. It wasn't until he was nearing Barbara's house that he finally seemed to wake up. His eyes scanned everything around him, and when he pulled into the driveway, he sensed that something wasn't quite right. In the driveway sat a black Lexus parked right behind a white F-250 and a blue Honda Civic. They also had a spare car, a hunter green Ford Explorer, which Lisa's mom probably had. He knew from studying Lisa earlier that the F-250 was Rick's and the Civic was Barbara's. The driver's door was wide open on the Lexus, like the owner wanted to make a quick exit if it was needed.

He stepped out of his rental car, a crappy Saturn Ion that had seen better days, and walked cautiously over to the Lexus. Before he had a chance to look the car over, the back door to the house slammed open and Lisa's auburn has caught his attention. She was running through the field at a frantic pace. Jackson didn't bother to see who was following her. He ran after Lisa and made to stay out of both her and her pursuer's sight. Finally, he hid behind a rather large tree that would hide both of them. A few seconds passed as he waited for Lisa to run past him. The sound of feet stepping on debris clued him in that she was approaching. Just as she darted past him, he reached out and wrapped an arm around her waist pushing her into the tree and covering her body with his. She started to let out a scream but his hand over her mouth silenced it.

He felt her body tense up as she realized just who had a hold over her. Jackson motioned for her to be quiet before peaking out into the field looking for the man who had attacked Lisa. She raised her hands up and put them on the hand that was covering her mouth. He felt a warm substance on his wrist and brought his eyes back to her. All that registered in his mind was that there was blood. Her blood.

A range of emotions filled his mind. Worry. Rage. Pain.

He was worried that she was hurt. After the "incident" he had felt some sort of bond between them. She was the only one who had managed to beat him and that connected them in some unforeseen way.

Rage at the man who had hurt her, but also because he hadn't been the one to make her bleed. She was his mark. He was the one who was sent to torture and kill her. He knew her better than anyone else and was best for the job. Now some rookie was after her and had beaten him to it.

Pain. That was the last emotion he felt as she bit down on his hand. He clenched his jaw in an attempt to not scream after yanking his hand away. Lisa tried to get away, but he was too fast for her. He grabbed her by the waist with his other and shoved her back into the tree, this time placing his hand on her throat. He put enough pressure on her throat to make sure that she couldn't scream and was having a hard time trying to breathe.

Just as he was about to speak to Lisa, the sound of someone approaching filled the air. He glared at her before reaching down and grabbing a fallen branch. He watched her carefully as he took his hand off her throat and wrapped his fingers tighter around the branch. She didn't dare move the whole time. He was her only way out, and she realized it. A smug grin fell onto his face as he waited for the attacker to approach. From the spot where he was standing, he could see the back of the man's head and his crisp black suit. His grip on the branch tightened right before he swung, aiming at the man's neck. A sickening crunch filled the air and the man fell to the floor dead. Jackson smiled at his handy work. Broken necks had always been one of his specialties. Remembering that Lisa was watching him, he turned around to speak to her but found her missing. A low growl escaped from his throat and he grew angry once more. The pain in his right hand was a mere reminder of just what Lisa was capable of. He would not underestimate her ever again.

* * *

Lisa watched with horror as Jackson tightened his grip on the branch. Just as he began to swing, she decided that it was the best time to run. When the sickening crunch met her ears, she didn't allow herself to look back. She had to disappear. For all she knew Jackson was after her and she was going to do everything in her power to prolong her ultimate capture and demise.

She could faintly hear footsteps behind her, but she wouldn't allow herself to confirm it. The last thing she needed to do was panic. Deciding it was best to pick up the pace, Lisa kicked it into high gear and darted around the trees in front of her. She had to through him off her trail. All the training for field hockey was really paying off. The branches all around her tore at her hair and clothing. She felt a couple of cuts on her face seeping blood and her shirt was most likely ripped in a couple places, but none of that matter. She had to get away. Her legs carried her out of the trees and into a field, where it became easier for her to run. Inhaling deeply, adrenaline filled her veins. A confident smile crossed onto her face when she realized that she was getting away and that she hadn't let fear take over. Now all she needed to do was run a least a mile more to the next-door neighbor's house and she was…

Lisa felt her legs being taken out from underneath her and instinctively braced for impact. The ground was very unforgiving as she crashed, skinning her elbows and knees. A painful groan escaped from her as she rolled onto her side, clutching her stomach. The wind had been knocked from her. Someone shifted next to her and she barely caught a glimpse of who it was. Jackson, she was certain.

"Why must you always run?" Jackson seethed as he stood up slowly, brushing the dirt from his black suit.

Lisa placed a hand over her eyes, shielding them from the midday sun. She could barely make out Jackson standing over her with a murderous look in his eyes. Her chest heaved in and out as she tried to regulate her breathing. It had been a while since she had run so far and so fast.

"Keeps you on your toes, Jackson," she replied with a little smirk. Cautiously, she raised a hand to her head and touched her cheek. Looking back at her hand, she saw that there was blood added to what she already had on her hand.

"You're bleeding," he said, slightly concerned.

"No shit, Sherlock," Lisa spat back. "You know for a bad guy, you're not that far on the bright side."

Jackson glared back at her. "I meant the blood that was already on your hand."

Lisa looked back down at her hand, as if she was just registering where the blood had come from. "Rick…" she whispered frantically. Scrambling up to her feet, she took off back in the direction of her house, but didn't get too far due to Jackson grabbing her around the stomach and yanking her back.

"You can't go back," he said firmly, still holding onto her waist.

"He's going to die. I've got to get back there." She clawed at her hands, but it was useless. Jackson wasn't letting go and they both knew it. Deciding that it was useless to continue struggling, Lisa spun around and came face to face with Jackson.

"If you have one iota of concern about me or my family you'll let me go back there." She tried her best to look fierce and determined, but he could see through the façade. Inside Lisa was afraid and helpless. She had no idea what to do and the only thing keeping her going was the knowledge she had gained through the self-help books.

"You see that's where you're wrong, _Leese. _I don't care. I stopped caring when I got a pen shoved through my fucking neck," Jackson hissed.

Lisa shrunk in his grasp and looked at the ground. She was having the second worst day ever. Biting her lip slightly, she tried one more tactic. There had to be someway to reason with Jackson.

"Jackson, if he dies I won't be able to forgive myself. My mom loves him. He makes her happy and no one has been able to do that in a long time, not even my father." Tears pricked the edges of Lisa's eyes and she placed her hands on his arms. "Please. I'll do whatever you want, just let me make sure he's okay."

He let go of her waist, and watched as she stepped back. Lisa watched him intently as he straightened his suit jacket. "We'll go check on _Rick_, but as soon as you make sure he is okay we're gone. I made a promise, Leese. And I always keep my promises."

"I wish you were dead," Lisa spat, slapping him across the face.

Jackson's expression remained unscathed as he grabbed her elbow and squeezed tightly. "What can I say, Leese? Absence makes the heart grow fonder."

* * *

**Score: **Lisa – 1 / Jackson – 2


	4. Chapter Four: Phase One is Complete

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the characters from the movie Red Eye. I do, however, own all characters that were not in or mentioned in the movie.

* * *

**Settling the Score  
****Part IV:** _Phase One is Complete_

_Courage is the discovery that you may not win,  
and trying when you know you can lose.  
_Tom Krause

* * *

Lisa made sure to keep her eyes ahead as they made the trek back to her mom's house. Worry filled her stomach. She inwardly hoped that Rick was okay. The thought of finding him dead in the living room terrified her. Jackson hard grip on her shoulder was a constant reminder of how her life was going down hill relatively fast. She let out a small hiss as Jackson tightened his grip. Glancing out the corner of her eye, she saw a smirk on his face.

"Pig," Lisa mumbled. She was rewarded with a tighter squeeze and was pulled closer to him.

A sense of nausea overwhelmed her. Being this close to Jackson did horrible things to her. The side effects were endless. Her heart rate increased, she began to sweat, anxiety filled her system, fear took over every limb, and she felt oddly calm. Deep down, she knew that Jackson wouldn't be quick to kill her. He had put up with so much on the plane and only became violent when she had gone against him in the bathroom. She felt mildly safe with him, yet hated him with everything in her.

As they neared the house, anxiety filled her system. Jackson's grip on her kept her from speeding up and running toward the house. Once they entered the house, however, she yanked her shoulder from his grip and sprinted through the kitchen to the living room. She let out a gasp as her eyes took in the room. In the center of it where Rick had been, there was a large pool of blood. Drops of blood led away from the pool and toward the front door. "Rick!" Lisa called out following the drops. When she rounded the corner into the dining room, she let out a blood-curdling scream and dropped to her knees. Rick was lying into a heap with a larger pool of blood underneath him, barely breathing. She crawled toward him hurriedly and placed her middle and forefinger on his wrist trying desperately to feel a pulse.

"He's got a pulse. It's weak, but still a pulse," she called over her shoulder, unsure of Jackson's exact whereabouts. "We've got to call 911."

"No," Jackson said as he appeared over her shoulder.

Lisa whipped around and glared at him. "He will die if we don't. I can't have his death on my hands."

"We call 911 and the police will be on our trail so fast that it will make our heads spin," he grounded out, somehow managing to keep a calm face. Lisa clenched her jaw and stood up. Jackson made a tsk, tsk sound before speaking. "Now, Lisa. Don't get any ideas about running away because I would hate to have to hurt you."

His warning, however, fell upon deaf ears. As soon as he quit talking, Lisa took off throwing the dining room and darted around Jackson. Her legs swiftly carried her through the living room and around the corner into her parent's room. She managed to get the door locked just before Jackson threw all of his weight into it, nearly breaking it off. Luckily, her parent's had an adjoining bathroom. Lisa ran into the room without a second thought and locked the door as well. She was trying her best to put as many obstacles in Jackson's way as possible.

Searching the room for a possible exit, she spotted a rectangle window a couple of feet about the bathtub. Lisa hopped up on the side of the tub and clawed at the lock willing for it to open. After several tries, she managed to get the window open. The sound of the first door breaking through caught her attention and she knew she had to hurry.

"Lisa," Jackson called teasingly from outside the door. "You can't run for long."

"Go to Hell!" she screamed before crawling through the window. Just as she was starting to bring her legs out, the second door broke through. Unwisely, Lisa threw a glance over her shoulder. She screamed as she saw Jackson coming ever closer to her and attempted to hurry up getting out of the window. Her pant leg stubbornly caught on the lock and Lisa put all her energy into trying to get it out.

By this time Jackson was close enough to grab a hold of her leg and he started to pull her back through the window. Lisa clawed at the ground in front of her trying to slow him down. Giving up on that idea quickly, she began to kick her captured leg and was rewarded when it collided firmly with his cheekbone. Stunned, Jackson let go of her leg momentarily, but it was just enough time for Lisa to slip it through the window. Without taking a look back, she took off running through the backyard, feeling an odd sense of déjà vu. Not liking what happened last time, she changed paths and rounded the house into the front yard. She headed straight towards the cars parked in the driveway. Her eyes fell upon the black Lexus whose door was still open. Within seconds she was in the car and slammed the door shut. Feeling victorious, Lisa went to crank the car but stopped when she saw that it was a manual.

"SHIT!" she screamed, slamming her hands into the steering wheel.

She attempted to start the car, but it was to no avail. For some reason the engine kept refusing to turn over. Lisa began to take the key out of the ignition, but stopped when something caught her attention outside of the car. A scream ripped through her throat as Jackson slammed the end of a shovel into the window, shattering all the glass. She flung herself at the passenger's door, but he managed to grab a fist full of hair and yanked hard. The pain was unbearable as Jackson pulled her through the window and outside the car. She continued to kick and scream despite the cuts and scrapes the glass shards had caused. Blood seeped through the wounds and ran down her legs. He dragged her to his rental car, knocking off both her shoes in the process. Jackson finally managed to get a firm grip on the bruised and bleeding Lisa and jerked her up into a standing position.

"Stop fighting," he growled out before head butting her.

Instantly, Lisa's form crumpled into his arms and he felt the ever-familiar trickle of blood flow down his forehead. Unable to wipe it off, he let the blood trickle as he scoped Lisa into a fireman's carry and dumped her unceremoniously into the passenger's seat. With a head sigh, he straightened his dark gray suit and cleaned off the blood from his skin. Things weren't going exactly to plan, but at least he had Lisa in his possession. With a look around, he got into the car and pointed it toward his next destination. Phase one was complete.

* * *

**Score:** Lisa - 1 / Jackson - 3


	5. Chapter Five: Guilt

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the characters from the movie Red Eye. I do, however, own all characters that were not in or mentioned in the movie.

* * *

**Settling the Score  
****Part IV:** _Guilt_

_Guilt is perhaps the most painful companion of death.  
_Coco Chanel

* * *

Lisa sighed. Her body was scraped up, her hair was matted, and she smelled a bit rank. While she wasn't expecting a four star hotel, she had hoped that Jackson would treat her a bit better. But then again, that would only happen if he had a heart. She slumped further down on the floor and kicked a rock that was close to her foot. After "rescuing" her, he proceeded to drive her to an undisclosed location and throw her into what looked like a basement. She estimated that it had been three or four days since their run-in at her mom's house. Her parents were probably worried sick, and there was no telling if Rick had lived. A feeling of intense guilt washed over her. Rick, her mom's true love, was dead because of her.

Waves of pain washed over Lisa as she tried to move her hands, which were bound together and hanging from a pipe above her.

"Jackson," she called out unsure of what would happen.

Nothing happened at all. He was punishing her for running away so many times. Maybe she should have stopped after the first attempt, but it seemed like a good idea at the time. Plus, how was she to know that the car was a fucking manual? Lisa gritted her teeth. She would have gotten away had she actually known how to drive the damn thing. Part of her was mad that she never took her dad up on his offer to teach her. Well, things seemed to be going so well.

The door to the basement creaked open and Lisa heard footsteps on the stairs. Jackson appeared in the corner of her eye, and she refused to turn and look at him.

"You called?" he said, teasingly.

There was silence that lasted for a good three minutes. Lisa could feel Jackson watching her.

"I need to shower," she mumbled finally.

"And why is that?"

She knew that he could smell her from where he was standing, and that thought alone disgusted her. But she also needed to clean her wounds to prevent further infection. There was one scrape on her left knee that was getting pretty bad.

"If I don't clean myself up soon, infection is going to set in."

Jackson smirked. "Death by infection. That would be a new one for my resume."

The fight was leaving Lisa. She saw no way out of this basement, and sure as heck didn't see how she was getting away from Rippner now that she was all beaten up.

"I tell you what, Leese. I let you shower and disinfect and you help me with a task."

She finally looked over at Jackson. He was wearing a white button down and black pinstriped slacks. Lisa couldn't help but feel attraction toward him. After all, he was an incredibly good-looking guy, which was part of the reason she was easily duped the first time.

"What task?"

He smiled, knowing that he had won.

"Where's the fun in telling you? It's either yes or no. That's all the information I'm giving you."

When she didn't respond immediately, he started to walk up the stairs.

"All right!" she whimpered. It was pathetic and degrading, but a shower sounded so good.

"That's my girl."

Jackson walked back down the stairs and gently cut her hands down. Lisa yelped in pain as her arms returned to their natural position. There seemed to be tingling in her arms and shoulders due to blood flow loss. Everything was sore and achy. He knelt down and scooped her into a fireman's carry. There was nothing romantic about it, though.

"Oh, and I get to bathe you," he said once they reached the top of the stairs.

Lisa started to argue, but the look in his eyes said that he would dump her right back in the basement if she did. The only thing she could do was go limp and accept her fate.

When they reached the bathroom, Jackson sat Lisa on the counter and opened the medicine cabinet beside her. He pulled out hydrogen peroxide, bandages, gauze, and Neosporin.

"Off with your clothes."

There was a glint of mischief in his eyes, but Lisa was past caring. His goal was to break her down and beat her into submission.

"Can I at least leave my underwear on?" She locked eyes with him and silently pleaded. There had been enough humiliation for one day.

* * *

Jackson looked back at her and felt an odd emotion: guilt. She looked pitiful. There were cuts and bruises all over her body, and her will was gone. He realized that what attracted him most to her was her spunk, and now that it was gone it brought out a feeling that he was sure he had been born without.

"Yeah," he whispered as he moved his hand to her cheek. Her skin was pale and almost sickly. Three days locked in a basement could do that to someone.

His hands moved down to the hemline of her shirt and with her help he slowly removed it. More bruises decorated her abdomen and there were more scrapes. After he took off her pants, he moved her over to the bathtub and placed her in it.

"Here," he said, handing her a washcloth. "Call me if you need help reaching somewhere."

Quickly, he stepped out of the bathroom and shut the door. Seconds later he heard the water turn on.

Jackson cursed himself for showing emotion. Lisa was his ticket back to his old job. There was no way the company would let him back in for good if she was alive. Not to mention, if he didn't go back to the company he would be a target for the rest of his life. Besides, what would he do? A 9 to 5? He chuckled. The idea of him living a normal life was ridiculous. But then again, it could never happen. For some reason though, the woman on the other side of the door was making him wish it were possible. Sure he had beaten her to hell and kidnapped her twice, but there was something there. Something he had never experienced before.

Jackson kicked to wall in front of him. Lisa was getting under his skin, and it was unacceptable. He would kill her, show the company that he had completed his task, and move on. The end.

* * *

Lisa tenderly moved the washcloth over her skin. The soap stung a little as it made contact with her scratches. After Jackson walked out of the room, she slipped off her underwear and tenderly crawled into the antique bear claw tub. She'd been lying if she said it didn't feel good to finally stretch out and defunk.

The water in the tub was starting to turn gross and Lisa's hands were pruning. She wasn't sure how much time had elapsed, but she felt like she could have stayed in the water for at least another hour.

A sharp knock on the door stirred her out of her reverie.

"You got five minutes to get out. Clothes are waiting outside the door."

So much for prince charming. Lisa was with the one man that was sure to drive her insane… or kill her. She stood up slowly and grabbed the towel. Her body felt rejuvenated but a little sore. When she peaked outside the door she found a tank and shorts. Leave it to Jackson to give her clothes that made her feel uncomfortable. After putting on the clothes, she accepted that she would have to face him again. With one deep breath, she stepped outside the bathroom.

Jackson was leaning against the wall with a blank look on his face. Lisa wished that she had telepathy. The man in front of her was such a mystery.

He was a trained assassin who never lied and got mad at her for lying. He was ethical in a way. It seemed like a giant oxymoron.

"Hungry?"

Lisa nodded, not trusting her voice.

Jackson pushed off the wall. "Too bad. There's no food here."

She wasn't surprised. The chances of her actually being alive hours from now was slim. And once she was dead, Jackson would be one his merry way to the next task or victim. The idea of death was no longer haunting. It was as if the period of unconsciousness had knocked some things around and she had expected the inevitable. Her greatest fear, Jackson's reappearance, had happened. There was nothing left to fear. And if she was no longer afraid then technically she had won.

* * *

Lisa – 2 / Jackson - 3


	6. Chapter Six: Master Plan

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the characters from the movie Red Eye. I do, however, own all characters that were not in or mentioned in the movie.

* * *

**Settling the Score  
****Part VI: **_Master Plan_

_I know well what I am __fleeing__ from  
but not what I am in search of.  
_Michel de Montaigne

* * *

To say that Lisa had a spring in her step would be an understatement. She felt like she was on cloud nine. Most likely, very few had made it this far in their fight against Jackson Rippner (and by his own admission he had never failed), and here she was besting him at every step.

Lisa plopped down in an old tattered chair with a sigh. She was a little on the exhausted side. The curtains were drawn leaving her no way to tell what time of day it was outside. The walls were made of wooden planks and looked a lot like what she thought a cabin wood. The furniture was no doubt from the seventies, and it was very clear that this cabin hadn't been used in a while. Lisa stared into the fire wondering how long she had been there.

"So, you hauled me up to this cabin for what?"

Jackson walked into the kitchen, which looked like it was an after thought. It was maybe the size of a hallway and contained a fridge, a microwave, and a sliver of a counter. He put his hands on the counter and looked down at them.

Lisa watched his shoulders move up and down. A silent Jackson was a scary Jackson. She stood up slowly from the chair and walked over to the kitchen.

"Jackson?"

He didn't move. The ringing of his cell phone broke the silence. He slipped a hand into his pocket only to retrieve it seconds later.

"Rippner." It was a no nonsense greeting.

Lisa watched his back for signs of how the conversation was going. When Jackson stood up straight and all but ran into the back room, Lisa became alarmed. She backed up slowly and returned to the chair, finding that she suddenly couldn't breathe. Lisa had this overwhelming feeling that things were going to go farther to hell than they already were.

When he entered the living room again, Jackson hung up the phone and clenched his jaw.

"Son-of-a-fucking-bitch!" He threw the phone at the wall. The sound made Lisa jump almost a foot out of her chair. He was angry, and this was new. Jackson only got mad when she was actively defying him.

She scrambled out of the chair and out of Jackson's path. He was rushing toward the front door. A gust of cool air rushed through the room as he ripped the front door open and peered into the driveway. After seeing that no one was there, he slammed the door.

"You're really starting to freak me out," Lisa said softly, watching him stalk toward the back door to do the exact same thing.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"He's coming."

Lisa was sure that he hadn't meant to say that out loud, but he looked so pissed off that it probably just slipped out. Tentatively, she took a step toward him. He was standing in front of a window facing what she assumed was the backyard. Now that the curtains were open she could see that it was nighttime. Lisa briefly wondered if her parents were okay or if Rick had lived. Just thinking about Rick made her overwhelmed with guilt. Her whole body felt numb. She collapsed into the corner of a couch that was close to the fire. The nighttime air had chilled her.

Jackson pushed away from the window. She watched as Jackson paced back and forth. It was as if he was nervous, and a nervous/pissed Jackson was not a Jackson that she liked. He was becoming someone she didn't know right before her eyes. Someone she was sure he didn't know either.

"Why is he after us?" she asked, hoping to make sense out of the situation.

"There is no us, Leese. He's after you."

That wasn't exactly the news she wanted to hear. Her numbness was intensifying. Why did everyone want to kill her all of a sudden?!

"But I thought you killed the other person who was after more. I thought it was just you now." Her fingernails were slowly getting chewed down. If one psychopath killer wasn't enough, now she had to worry about someone else.

"I _was_ the only one until you had to screw around with the plans. The company has deemed you a threat."

Jackson glared at her, and she couldn't help but be afraid. His eyes had a crazy look in them.

"So because I got away, the people you work for have sent someone else after me as well as you."

No answer. He continued to pace.

"Do you know who it is?"

This question caused Jackson to stop in his tracks. Several minutes passed by before either of them moved.

"Jared Sorn."

He said it so faint that Lisa had to lean forward to catch it.

"Who is he?"

Jackson turned around to face her. There was a distant look in her eyes. They were officially traveling into uncharted territories, and she was freaked out.

"I killed his girlfriend." That was definitely not the answer Lisa thought she was going to hear, but she wasn't sure why she was surprised.

"The people I work for thought that it would be best if she were eliminated. She was some foreign dignitary's kid, and my employers wanted to make a statement. So I did what I was asked to and killed her."

"How?" Lisa wanted to stop the words from coming out, but her curiosity got the best of her.

"Two shots to the head." His words were cold and precise.

"So he's wanting to get back at you by killing me?"

Jackson started pacing again. "No. Several people have been contacted to kill you so it's not personal. Besides, he killed my sister to get back at me."

Lisa's eyes widened. Jackson had made what she thought was a reference to killing his parents when they first met, in jest she hoped, but never had he mentioned a sister. Her heart broke at the thought of Jackson losing his sister.

"I'm so sorry."

"Don't be," he snapped. "Killing my sister served as his audition of sorts into the company. He was and is the only person to get the better of me. And now he's after you. Once he kills you, it's open season on me."

Jackson plopped down in the seat next to her.

"How long ago?"

"What?" he said, finally looking at her. His voice was strained, but there was no telling what that meant.

"How long ago was your sister's death?"

"Right before I took your mission." He shook his head slowly as if to shake out the thoughts.

Their situation was becoming messy. Not only was Jackson now sent to kill her, but also Jared plus more. Lisa sunk back into her seat. It seemed as though she was destined to die. In the back of her head, she had sort of convinced herself that Jackson wouldn't go through with it, but now she wasn't so sure.

Jackson stared into the fire with a blank look on his face. There was no telling what he was thinking. Lisa reached over and picked a piece of lint off of his shoulder. This was the closet she had been to Jackson without feeling malice toward him.

"If…" She cleared her throat. "When it comes time, I want you to do it."

Nether one of them was brushed up on "you can kill me" protocol. What should be said next? What should be done next?

Jackson looked at her before nodding. "I'll make sure you die with dignity." He placed his hand on Lisa's for a second. After the moment passed, it was back to business as usual.

"I brought you up here so I could wait for things to calm down with the company before killing you." He stood up and walked to the front door. "But now that things are stirred up now more than ever, looks like we'll have to speed things up."

"What do you mean speed things up?" Lisa questioned.

"I mean that I'll have to kill you."

_This is what I get for thinking he's human. _Self preservation mode kicked in.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. What's the rush? I mean what's to stop jared from attacking you once I'm dead? Why don't you wait, kill him, and _then_ you can take care of me." She wouldn't look him in the eyes, knowing that he wouldn't agree with it.

"You're just saying that to save yourself," he mumbled.

Lisa picked at her fingernails. Maybe she was, but it was her right to want to live.

"I am, but also wouldn't it make more sense this way? Besides i still have to help you with something remember?"

She was pulling out all the stops. It was the only way she knew to get Jackson to listen to her. He pondered her statement for a second before nodding to himself.

"I have a plan." He looked over at her and smiled. "And you, my dear, are the main character."

_

* * *

_

**Lisa** – 2 / **Jackson** - 4


End file.
